Ken Hirai - The R&B Singer

[petricia]

If there is one other guy that can replace Jay in my heart, Ken will be the man.
His vocals are godsend gifts, which he've made good use of so far. I am just mesmerized with him, especially his falsetto. :angel:
Just a bit of information about Ken Hirai...
He is born in Osaka on 17th January 1972. Ken went for an audition with Sony in 1992 and in 1993, he signed his first contract with Sony. He made his debut with 'Precious Junk' in 1995. However, his breakthrough was in 2000, with 楽園 (Rakuen). This firmly established his reputation as a singer in Japan and overseas. He had various invitations from Hong kong, Taiwan, United States etc.
Here's a picture of him... I find it really... charming in a 'nerdy' sense.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y216/Petricia/hirai_ken.jpg
He has a tendency to just... disappear so... I thought if there is a thread, at least we can be updated with his news...
Just some links for more information:
Official Website (http://www.kenhirai.net/) (In Japanese)
nippop (http://nippop.com/artist/artist_id-169/artist_name-ken_hirai/)
Wikiepedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Hirai)

[panda_shine]

I really like Ken Hirai too! I can't remember how I heard of him but it was quite awhile ago. I remember the first song I heard was Desperado and I just fell in love with it. His voice is really soothing, and when I listen to his songs, it just feels so relaxing.

When I first saw a picture of him, I thought he was mixed and was in disbelieve that he was full Chinese Japanese (I meant to say Japanese :tongue:) :excited:

[kamceng]

i know him. instead, i really like his 'popstar' song. you know, the 'i wanna be your popstar,bla, bla, bla...'and yes,he somehow have this nerdy look but still charming. first seeing him at MTV Japanese Video Award where he won the best male video.

and is he full chinese? i thought he's mixed, at least from italy, or german, or somewhere else...

[petricia]

Er....
He is Japanese.... Full Japanese... I also can't believe it because of his sharp features and his height. (It is 183 cm! and ... that's a bit off the average of the japanese men :angel:)

Anyway, I think I like him from Ken's bar, the cover album he did in 2003. I didn't really like his work, as I basically don't like the typical Japanese pop songs but that album really showed me his wonderful vocals and from that album, I started buying 'backwards' going for his older albums (I am still at it!) and he has not disappoint me yet.

Right now, my favorite song of his is 'Hitomi wo Tojite', from 2004. It is the theme song for the movie, "Shouting for love in the middle of the world" (My interpretation from the Japanese title, I can't remember the English title). That's like the massive hit throughout Japan then.

Well... If I am free tonight I'll just upload that song in Downloads & Links.

Karen: Do you mind uploading that song (Desperado) for me? I don't think I have that song...

[cacky]

Right now, my favorite song of his is 'Hitomi wo Tojite', from 2004. It is the theme song for the movie, "Shouting for love in the middle of the world" (My interpretation from the Japanese title, I can't remember the English title). That's like the massive hit throughout Japan then.

Yes yes! That is also my most favourite song!!! I didn't realize it was from the movie until you mentioned it here.

No wonder it sounded awfully familiar!

[spork]

AHHHH KEN HIRAI!!! XD

I fell in love with Ken Hirai after hearing his song Popstar XD I thought it was very cute and carefree, but very different from the other JPop songs floating around. I fell in love with the video for Popstar too, I like how it made fun of all his previous looks. My second all time favorite was Kimi wo Tomodachi (?), and then my third favorite is Even If :P
I'm a bit picky about his songs...I don't like some of them, and some of his videos are downright freaky and weird, but I respect him as an artist because he does have talent and isn't afraid to explore different styles of music (even though I don't like all of them) and I think his vocals are very good.
He's also very :drool: hehe. There was this one performance of Even If in Japan where he cried during his song, which shows that he put a lot of heart and emotion into his songwriting...I don't have the download for it unfortunately, but if you haven't seen it and would like to, it's here (http://youtube.com/watch?v=L76_BbV_M_g)

[panda_shine]

Oops, Sorry for the confusion! I meant to say Japanese :shy: Not sure what I was thinking at that moment lol. I've edited the post so others don't get confused!

I really like Hitomi Wo Tojite too but I don't think I've heard of Popstar before. Which album is it from??

Here is the link to Desperado, requested by Petricia:
Yousendit (http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=1ECE0F473265DA74)

[kamceng]

you never heard of popstar? the song was one of his latest song, and he won an MTV award for the video of it...

here's the youtube link...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=28PVp2OYtgA

[babysmurf]

Hitomi wo tojite is my favorite too. That song's also made into chinese song. i don't know who sings it, it's featured in the vic chou' drama series Mars.

F4's song Liu Xing Yu also remake on Ken Hirai's song, i forgot the japanese title.
This real version sung by Ken is sooooooooo much better than F4 version.
They make the song sounds so chessy and lame, while Ken performs the song so beautiful.

[petricia]

babysmurf: It was sang by You Hong Ming. I don't think I have the song, since Ken's version is so much better. haha.

Karen: Thanks a lot! I'll listen to it when I get home. I am in office now.. haha.

Anyone who hasn't taken a look at Popstar's MV (PV), please do... It cracks me up totally. Anyway I would say he is really talented. I haven't gone through all the lyrics books but I think he wrote the melody and lyrics of most of his songs... Well.. One thing I am sure of it that, he wrote "Hitome wo tojite".

By the way, if I am not wrong... the song that F4 sang is 'Gaining through losing'. If it is not, it is probably something from that album.

[immortal_blayze]

Thanks for the song panda_shine!
I've listened to Desperado before, but previously not sung by Ken Hirai. I think he did a great job.. the pronounciation was also okay. I'm not really up to date with his latest works. But I really love this old song of his "Ookina Furodokei" a.k.a. Grandfather's clock.
I agree that F4 totally butchered Ken Hirai's song when they remade it into Liu Xing Yu. *cringe* I remembered when I first heard Ken Hirai's version... I actually liked it.. the same can't be said for Liu xing yu.. as it remains till today, one of the worse chinese songs of all time.
Popstar's really funny... Nerdy Ken is so cute! and Flamboyant Ken is funny.. Have u all watched the music video for Strawberry Sex? It's one of his older songs... also very funny :D

[petricia]

Here (http://jay-chou.net/forums/showthread.php?t=24247)is his new single!

I agreed that Popstar MV was hilarious. I remembered watching it in school then. It was one of the nights where i stayed overnight to study for exams. I got bored and then decided to do a little youtube-ing. No prize for guessing what I did for the rest of the night and how fruitful the night was, in terms of studying accomplished.

[spork]

The newest song, Kimi no Suki na Toko is here! (http://jay-chou.net/forums/showthread.php?t=24247)

I don't have the other two tracks for it though, so i didn't make a new thread :(
But the video for Kimi no Suki is there! The ending is like a combination of :ohmy: and :love: You'll see why :P But the ending is really cute.

Popstar is my favorite Hirai MV of all time...probably because it's also my first Hirai MV. I love the dancing raccoon and mole in the background as well as his little dancing routine.

[ankh]

Right now, my favorite song of his is 'Hitomi wo Tojite', from 2004. It is the theme song for the movie, "Shouting for love in the middle of the world" (My interpretation from the Japanese title, I can't remember the English title). That's like the massive hit throughout Japan then.

Ooooh pet, thanks for that info! Was just trying to search around for the title of that song cos I'm just done with watching Sekai no Naka de, Ai o Sakebu (Crying Out Love, In the Center of the World). *sidetrack* that show's as great as the song!!!

I haven't heard much of his songs after my crazy j-pop frenzy way back in 2000.
And yes I loved Ookina Furodokei too! Was :oops: when I heard him sing over Music Station. He has wonderfully beautiful vocals. Oh yes and "Kiss of Life"!

I still cannot believe he's not mixed... his features and the fact that he speaks english so well.

[petricia]

ankh: I am getting the impression that he doesn't speak English though... haha But I must agree that his pronunciation is rather accurate (in the American sense). there is hardly any Japanese accent in it.

Anyway, I just love Aika, his other single for another movie. I thought Kimi no Suki na Toko is another rather relax (I really don't know what's the suitable English word for it but in Chinese, it is 小品) kind of song. It gives me a feeling like Track 1 from Sentimental Lovers... haha it is too long for me to get the romanji out...

[whomp]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-dCuAk4JBo

you guys should check this video out

through the use of tempo changes they were able to duplicate ken's voice

its prettyy cool i laughed the first time i watched it

[Ah-Han]

haha ya I ve seen something like that before, seems they always can turn other singers into Hirai lol

[petricia]

*blows off the dust on this thread*

I wonder if anyone is going to see this but Ken Hirai has a new single, Fake Star. I haven't listen to it yet and I wonder if I can find it on youtube or not. I'll update here again, if there are links!

Edited:

Here's the links! However, they are all unsubbed in Japanese. Maybe some of the kind souls can help us translate?

PV (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s59MrQVOdT4)
Interview - BARKS (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNUH38fe3nw)
Interview - RO69 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=morhIVqh5R4)
Interview - Oricon (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgqgzszEaEA)

[80slitenite]

haha i'm listening to Popstar right now. its too catchy. i also thought he wasn't japanese. he is a good singer. ok i'm seriously addicted to Pop star. i have most of the moves down from the mv. >////< XD
i just saw Fake Star. thanks petricia for mentioning it. nice, cool song.

[myau]

Hitomi wo tojite is my favorite song of his as well. A couple years ago I bought the single of it and it was an import from Japan. I bought it because it also had the instrumental of the song that I couldn't find anywhere else.

Turns out that the files on the CD were .oma files and Sony had some stupid copy protection where I can't even play them without their special player on my computer. What a waste of time and money that was..end of rant

[petricia]

I just realised Ken Hirai just released another single (or more)!

It is the theme song for Honey and Clover, a Japanese drama, called Canvas.

Anyone has the mp3 or the Mv to download?

[catseyes]

I just realised Ken Hirai just released another single (or more)!

It is the theme song for Honey and Clover, a Japanese drama, called Canvas.

Anyone has the mp3 or the Mv to download?

Yup, he just released a new album on the 12th March, "Fakin' Pop". ^^

http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=DFCL-1500

[babysmurf]

Yup, I've got 2 songs from his album Canvas/Kimi wa Suteki...canvas is such a nice ballad

Ken Hirai - Canvas
http://www.sendspace.com/file/yzdg5i

Ken Hirai - Cry & Smile!!
http://www.sendspace.com/file/s59rvy

This one is Canvas ~ Piano Version ~
http://www.sendspace.com/file/s4jpio

[k_coolygirl]

OH i love him too. the first song i heard from him is "Popstar" then i saw the MV and i though Wow! it's really joyful. i love the way he dance ^^

[petricia]

Haha... Thanks a lot, Cats and babysmurf.

Just after lunch a couple of days ago, I went shopping in a CD store and realized it is out.
I'll go and buy it tonight.... haha...

k-coolygirl, haha...
That's a funny MV. It really shows us a different side of Ken-san ne...

Anyway, I've got the album and uploaded it here (http://jay-chou.net/forums/showthread.php?p=17188012). Do have a listen and support original!

[chiru]

I only know his song, "Pop Star" because it was the theme song for that Japanese drama. It was pretty addicting, though.

But this kid in my Japanese class did his pop culture project on him. It was really funny. He tried to dance and sing a long. And at the end of the video, he did this total failure breakdance move. xD He looked like a dying fish. (Ahahaha)

[petricia]

I can't imagine Ken-san trying to dance!

It must be... quite.... 'horrifying'. haha

Anyway, i think the DVD for his Osaka concert is going on sale in Dec!

I am looking forward to it!